Bhaal, Lord of Murder is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
As long as your life total is less than or equal to half your starting life total, Bhaal has indestructible. Whenever another nontoken creature you control dies, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature and goad it.
Complete guide
Bhaal, Lord of Murder is a terrifying presence in Commander, thriving on death and chaos. This legendary God rewards you for your creatures falling in battle by making your opponents turn their weapons against each other. Harness the power of the Lord of Murder to orchestrate a battlefield where no one is safe.
Divine Resilience
Bhaal features a static ability that grants it indestructible as long as your life total is less than or equal to half your starting life total. In a typical Commander game, this means reaching 20 life or less. This check is continuous; if you are dealt lethal damage and lose life simultaneously, Bhaal will be indestructible by the time state-based actions check if it should be destroyed, ensuring its survival.
Goading the Masses
Whenever another nontoken creature you control dies, Bhaal triggers, placing a +1/+1 counter on a target creature and goading it. Goading a creature means it must attack each combat if able and must attack a player other than you if able. Note that this ability can target any creature on the battlefield, including your own, though it is usually best used to force an opponent's creature into a bad block or to chip away at another rival.
Resolving the Trigger
The process happens in two distinct steps upon the death of your creature. First, the +1/+1 counter is placed on the target. Immediately after, that creature becomes goaded. This goad effect lasts until your next turn. If the target creature is no longer on the battlefield when the ability tries to resolve, the entire ability fails and no counter is placed.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumIf your Solemn Simulacrum is destroyed or sacrificed, its own triggered ability goes on the stack alongside Bhaal's ability. You may draw a card from the Simulacrum and also use Bhaal's trigger to put a +1/+1 counter on an opponent's creature. This forces that creature to attack someone else on their next turn, effectively turning your creature's death into both card advantage and a tactical disruption.
Roaming ThroneWhen Roaming Throne enters, choose 'God'. If another nontoken creature you control dies, Bhaal's ability will trigger twice because of the Throne. You can choose two different targets (or the same target twice) to receive +1/+1 counters and be goaded. This allows you to control the combat phase of multiple opponents or heavily buff and goad a single threat to ensure it causes maximum damage elsewhere.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Bhaal, Lord of Murder
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If Bhaal, Lord of Murder is dealt lethal damage at the same time that its controller's life total is reduced to less than or equal to half their starting life total, Bhaal will have indestructible at the time state-based actions are performed and survive.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Bhaal, Lord of Murder + Viscera Seer
- 1Activate Viscera Seer by sacrificing a persist creature that does not have a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 2When the creature dies, its persist ability and Bhaal trigger.
- 3Resolve the Bhaal trigger, putting a +1/+1 counter on the remaining persist creature.
- 4Resolve the sacrificed creature's persist trigger, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 5Resolve the Viscera Seer ability from step 1.
- 6Repeat.
Bhaal, Lord of Murder + Goblin Bombardment
- 1Activate Goblin Bombardment by sacrificing a persist creature that does not have a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 2When the creature dies, its persist ability and Bhaal trigger.
- 3Resolve the Bhaal trigger, putting a +1/+1 counter on the remaining persist creature.
- 4Resolve the sacrificed creature's persist trigger, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 5Resolve the Goblin Bombardment ability from step 1.
- 6Repeat.
Bhaal, Lord of Murder + Ashnod's Altar
- 1Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing a persist creature that does not have a -1/-1 counter on it, adding
. - 2When the creature dies, its persist ability and Bhaal trigger.
- 3Resolve the Bhaal trigger, putting a +1/+1 counter on the remaining persist creature.
- 4Resolve the sacrificed creature's persist trigger, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 5Repeat.
Bhaal, Lord of Murder + Carrion Feeder
- 1Activate Carrion Feeder by sacrificing a persist creature that does not have a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 2When the creature dies, its persist ability and Bhaal trigger.
- 3Resolve the Bhaal trigger, putting a +1/+1 counter on the remaining persist creature.
- 4Resolve the sacrificed creature's persist trigger, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 5Resolve the Carrion Feeder ability from step 1.
- 6Repeat.
Bhaal, Lord of Murder + Phyrexian Altar
- 1Activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing a persist creature that does not have a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 2When the creature dies, its persist ability and Bhaal trigger.
- 3Resolve the Bhaal trigger, putting a +1/+1 counter on the remaining persist creature.
- 4Resolve the sacrificed creature's persist trigger, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 5Repeat.
Bhaal, Lord of Murder + Woe Strider
- 1Activate Woe Strider by sacrificing a persist creature that does not have a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 2When the creature dies, its persist ability and Bhaal trigger.
- 3Resolve the Bhaal trigger, putting a +1/+1 counter on the remaining persist creature.
- 4Resolve the sacrificed creature's persist trigger, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 5Resolve the Woe Strider ability from step 1.
- 6Repeat.
Bhaal, Lord of Murder + Umbral Collar Zealot
- 1Activate Umbral Collar Zealot by sacrificing a persist creature that does not have a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 2When the creature dies, its persist ability and Bhaal trigger.
- 3Resolve the Bhaal trigger, putting a +1/+1 counter on the remaining persist creature.
- 4Resolve the sacrificed creature's persist trigger, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 5Resolve the Umbral Collar Zealot ability from step 1.
- 6Repeat.
Bhaal, Lord of Murder + Yahenni, Undying Partisan
- 1Activate Yahenni by sacrificing a persist creature that does not have a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 2When the creature dies, its persist ability and Bhaal trigger.
- 3Resolve the Bhaal trigger, putting a +1/+1 counter on the remaining persist creature.
- 4Resolve the sacrificed creature's persist trigger, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 5Resolve the Yahenni ability from step 1.
- 6Repeat.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Bhaal, Lord of Murder
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